Etihad Airways adds Shanghai flights...

Further relaxation of China's Covid-related travel restrictions is fuelling demand

Etihad Airways is set to strengthen air connectivity between the UAE and China in 2023, starting with an additional weekly frequency on its Abu Dhabi to Shanghai route.

Flight times have not yet been released, but subject to regulatory approval, from February 2023, the airline will fly to Pudong International Airport (PVG) two times per week with Boeing 787 and 777 aircraft.

Combined with a weekly service to Beijing and a twice-weekly service to Guangzhou, this will provide travellers with five weekly non-stop flights between Abu Dhabi and China.

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Martin Drew, senior vice president of Global Sales & Cargo at Etihad Aviation Group, said: "Etihad Airways is delighted to add a second weekly passenger service to Shanghai following the further relaxation of Covid-related travel measures. China is a market of primary importance to Etihad, and as one of the country's largest financial and economic centres, Shanghai plays a crucial role in our network.

"Etihad is committed to developing our operation to China, and we look forward to welcoming more travellers on board in the new year to experience our award-winning hospitality."

Today's announcement follows the launch of nonstop flights between Abu Dhabi and Guangzhou in October 2022, when Etihad Airways became the first international airline to operate long-haul passenger flights to the top three Chinese gateways since the start of the pandemic.

The airline marked another milestone in China earlier this year when it operated the first regular international passenger flight to recommence to Beijing when it reopened for international travel in June 2022, and this month is marked another milestone. The UAE's national carrier celebrated carrying its 10 millionth passenger in December 2022.

The 10 millionth passenger and their family were surprised onboard flight EY205 from Mumbai to Abu Dhabi with a cake, complimentary roundtrip tickets and Gold tier membership on Etihad Guest.

For more information, visit www.etihad.com/en-ae